Declawing

[cbain]

I am not a cat owner who declaws our cats and never will be, I have found out that if we keep different types of scratching posts the cats will pick one or two and use them, we have 5 types , our 2 SV like rope wrapped around a cat tree and some course round pad from Pet smart, our 2 American Short hairs use carpet posts, when our 2 SV are in their outside run they use a log . Give your fur friend a chance and find a scratching post they like ,before you cut their toes off. in my opinion

 

[Lesley]

Agree. Please think hard before you declaw. It can even change their personalities, make them less confident. Their claws are part of their evolutionary package and their identity.

 

[The Kasbah]

I agree that it is best to leave claws, however in some circumstances a choice has to be made between rehoming a cat or finding a way to live in harmony.

Declawing (through traditional surgery or laser) IS amputation and imo, both cruel and inhumane.

However, there is another less publicized procedure referred to as Claw Removal, that IS an option.

For more information on the three types of procedures used to curtail clawing behavior, please visit our website and read the information on Savannah Cat Care/Veterinary at: http://www.kasbahsavannahcats.com/savannah-cat-care/#vet

Hope you find the information useful.

All best,

 

[WitchyWoman]

Humans who can't abide by scratched/damaged furniture should find another companion animal that doesn't cause damage. That is harmony. Mutilating an animal for the convenience of the owner is inexcusable and disharmonious with nature. I realize that this is a polarizing subject, but there is no rhetoric that justifies declawing.

 

[Kristin]

I am definitely anti-declawing, however there are some circumstances that I would understand...and to me furniture isn't one of them.
My dsh is declawed, we had him as a kitten, we didn't know as much about cats, but he was a psycho-path. He wouldn't scratch furniture, no he would just attack us. Even now, at around 9 years old, when we walk past he will still wrap his arms around our legs and flex his paws out as if to dig his nails in.
I don't think what we did was right, and I know now there are cat behaviourists that would have helped us curtail his behaviour, but at the time it was declaw or euthanize as no one in their right mind would adopt him the way he was. Actually when we did his neuter procedure the vet recommended euthanasia because he was such a nightmare at such a young age. We didn't go back to the vet needless to say

 

[The Kasbah]

Just to clarify, I AM NOT an advocate of declawing. As a Breeder however, I strive to keep my kittens in their forever homes for a lifetime and IF and WHEN an animal begins to demonstrate behavior that undermines the harmony within the household I DO recommend Claw Removal as an option.

Suggesting a far more noninvasive procedure is TO ME a far more preferable option than having ANY kitten/cat from my breeding end up dumped by his/her owners at a Shelter or in Rescue, which to date, I have been fortunate in avoiding.

 

[NikkiA]

We have three boys. Two of them do not scratch us or the furniture, ever.
The third likes to scratch the furniture. As a younger cat, he would use his claws aggressively on me, and for a time we considered claw removal, but wanted to give him more time. He has since stopped using his claws on me, and I'm glad we waited the behavior out.
I can buy a new couch, but if we had done claw removal, we couldn't have bought him a new set of claws, and from what I have read, it may have made the situation worse if we had proceeded in that direction.

 

[cbain]

Kittens play, run, scratch and as they grow older they change and settle down as they mature and many lose bad habits, I am against declawing and we have had many high end cats over the years and all had their front claws, I have also heard a many times a declawed kitten tends to be a biter and it does change their personality , I don't know this as a fact as I never had a declawed cat. People that want pets should consider the traits of the animal before it's to late and they make a big mistake for them and the animal.

 

[Kristin]

Don't get me wrong, I am 110% anti declaw, I would NEVER do it again. I believe there is always a different solution, but I agree with Cynthia.

 

[NikkiA]

Jarvis was not a kitten when he was scratching. He was a young adult of 17+ pounds. I am not talking a scratch here and there.
My point was that I was glad our patience and persistence paid off.
Is jarvis today a happy, reasonably well adjusted cat who happens to like to trash furniture? yup. But he is my reasonably well adjusted boy, so furniture be darned.